


LISA the Heroic

by Internet_XxxPl0r3rxxX



Series: The Many Role-Models of Izuku Midoriya (positive or otherwise) [1]
Category: LISA (Video Games), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Karate, Kendo, Martial Arts, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Wrestling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:06:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24835852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Internet_XxxPl0r3rxxX/pseuds/Internet_XxxPl0r3rxxX
Summary: A mother caves and let's her son sign up for martial arts. Their local options limit them to a dojo run by a man from the states that just doesn't seem right. His adopted kids are pretty nice at least, and hey, as far this "Armstrong Style" stuff goes it seems pretty legit.
Relationships: Brad Armstrong & Buddy Armstrong, Brad Armstrong & Midoriya Izuku, Brad Armstrong & Rando, Buddy Armstrong & Midoriya Izuku, Buddy Armstrong & Rando, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Rando & Midoriya Izuku
Series: The Many Role-Models of Izuku Midoriya (positive or otherwise) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796491
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Oh Joy

**Author's Note:**

> A few things to note  
> 1- Typos: I don't have word on the computer I'm using to write this due to bizarre technical issues. This is all copy pasted off of notepad, so I don't have autocorrect at my disposal. I do re-read each chapter a few times before committing it to the site, but if I make any mistakes or typos, or reuse a word a little too often, I apologize.  
> 2- The story of Brad, Lisa and Rando in this world and how certain events played out differently will be gradually revealed.  
> 3- The subject matter for the LISA games is dark to put it mildly. I'm not going to go all in on those details within this fic but between language, the tags, and eventual violence/conflict, I'd say the rating is somewhere between Teen and Mature.  
> 4- You best believe our lord and savior Terry Hintz will be making an appearance in some way shape or form by the time this is over.

Inko looked up at the sign with... concern. She knew her neighborhood wasn't exactly pristine. Run down might be more accurate, not enough to attract gangs and villains, but enough that you got used to store-fronts having faded lettering and grimey windows. Still, she hoped that the dojo she had heard about would be in slightly better condition. If Izuku pushed himself a little too hard, it would be nice to know he could walk home in a matter of minutes and not have to ride the train past dark. It was a place run by a foreigner. An old man from the states was the original owner, the mantle now being taken up by his grandson by the sounds of it. It taught something called "Armstrong Style", which claimed to be a mixture of wrestling techniques and traditional karate. It sounded like the fake crap they advertised in-between the panels of the comics Izuku liked so much, made by someone who was more of a con-artist than a combat-master, but from what little she could gleam of the place from the internet, it got results. The description was an immediate turn off for most, but among those that did attend and recommend were a few seasoned side kicks and lesser-heroes. When Izuku read out some of the names his eyes lit up, listing off all their quirks and careers. He said that if this place taught heroes it'd be perfect for him. She hated herself for it, but she could only half-agree. Her boy was 10 now, and it was getting harder to believe the bruises and, god, burn marks he was coming home with most days were just childish rough-housing.  
She knew what the school-system was like in their area, knew that it almost seemed to try to emulate all the stereotypes of bullying and delinquency they could manage, and that it'd only get worse once Izuku got to high-school. She wanted her boy to protect himself, come home with at worst a little dirt on his cheek instead of dried blood, but protecting others- and without a quirk-

She was jostled from her thinking by Izuku, who'd latched onto her arm. He smiled and pointed up at the sign. "This is the place mom, Armstrong Dojo!" She smiled back weakly. Her boy could look at a beat-up strip-mall dojo and see heaven on earth. She prayed he'd never lose that hopeful part of himself. He was a few feet off at first, over by the newspaper stall checking out the latest hero comics, one of which was currently tucked under his arm. But now that he'd seen the place Inko couldn't just lie and say they must've walked down the wrong street, she'd never lie to her son. She pushed the ball of doubt down as much as she could as she went to open the door... Okay MAYBE she used her quirk to open it because she was still convinced this place needed a good cleaning, but they went inside at least. The interior, was, thankfully, more well-kept than the exterior. The wood floor looked somewhat shiny, and the mats were all in good condition instead of held together by duct-tape. Towards the back there seemed to be a sparring-area, currenlty in use by a short, grizzled looking man with salt-and-pepper hair and- "Woah, that's Chop-Hop!" The hero in question turned at the sound of his name, only for his opponent to swat aside his arms and open palm strike his chest hard enough to send him falling back unto the floor. Despite being in his costume, a relatively standard design comprised of tactical gear and a utility belt with a yellow and green color scheme, the strike seemed to knock the wind right out of him. His opponent put out a hand and he got up with a wheeze, clutching his chest and grimacing. "You get distracted that easily on patrol and all it'll take is a mugger with a pocket knife to put you out of commission." "Sorry sensei." Chop-Hop replied, rubbing the back of his head before turning to look at his distractor. "Your quirk lets you manipulate kinetic energy to jump higher and hit harder right? That's so awesome! You'll be in the top 200 in no time!" Izuku exclaimed, causing Chop-Hop to blush and stammer a little. "Aw g-geez little dude that means a lot. But uh, I wouldn't have gotten this far without sensei's guidance." He said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the man who'd dropped him a minute earlier. His arms were crossed underneath his short-cut beard, his eyes intense and narrow. Inko didn't get the best vibes from him. A beep was heard and Chop-Hop looked down at his belt, pulling up a small device and staring at it. "Ah crap, they're calling me in tonight? I thought they cleared me to take the day off! Uhg, I gotta go. Hey uh- if y'all are thinking about trying this place out go for it! Armstrong style gets results!" And with that the hero ran out the door, leaving the Midoriyas with the apparent proprietor. 

"Well then..." He said, clearing his throat to get their attention. "Good evening, my name is Brad Armstrong. As you can probably tell this is my dojo. To be blunt, Armstrong style is rather physically demanding and the learning curve can be a little steep for those trying martial arts for the first time. Most of my students are licensed heroes and sidekicks. I don't say that to brag, but to let you know the standards around here. I'm assuming your son is the one interested?" Both Inko and Izuku nodded. "Well, between his age and size we'd of course be starting off lighter than normal, but that's still a higher bar than most places. Are you certain you wouldn't like to explore other options?" "This kind of isn't the sales pitch I was expecting..." Izuku muttered with a nervous laugh. "I don't sell martial arts son, I teach them." Brad replied in a slightly bristly tone. "Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than happy to take you on as a student, but I only keep those students that I see potential in. Four times a year you will be tested on your abilites. If I find that you lack drive or think you've been slacking off, I reserve the right to let you go. Take this seriously and it will reward you, that I promise, but I'd rather we not waste eachother's time." The man stared down at Izuku with his hands on his hips, not necessarily trying to intimidate him but doing so nonetheless. "So, are you still interested after hearing all that son?" Izuku clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes sir! I want to be a hero, and if I can't protect myself how can I be expected to protect others?" Brad's lip quirked upwards ever so slightly. It wasn't a smirk, per se, but it was noticeable. "You've got passion, that's good. Helps you power through the rough patches and stick with the routine." Brad tilted back and turned to face the rear of the dojo. "Dusty!" He called out. A young man wearing sweatpants, a white t-shirt and, oddly enough a full face-mask entered the room. Inko thought the mask was a little odd, but it'd be rude to ask about it. A lot of folks nowadays were mutant-types, and their quirks often came with less than stellar appearances so facial coverings weren't as off-putting as they once were. "Yes da- Sensei?" "This is..." Brad looked at Izuku. "O-oh, right! My name is Izuku Midoriya!" He said with a bow. "Right, well Midoriya is a prospective new student. Run him through some warm ups and show him the basics while I hash out the details with Ms. Midoriya." "Oh uh, Missus Midoriya, actually." Brad quirked an eyebrow but shrugged. "Right, Missus. Didn't want to assume. But yeah get started for me will you?" "Yes sensei." Dusty led Izuku towards one of the mats. He had a much calmer demeanor than his teacher, which was a little ironic considering he seemed to be an entire foot taller. She still couldn't help but wonder why he had that mask on though...


	2. The Girl With A Grudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the queen of the list

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition dumps on the Armstrong family living situation and vague allusions to just what the hell happened! All this and more!

It had been a month since that night, and Izuku found himself standing beside Dusty, following along with his movements. It seemed that Dusty was the assistant teacher, or at least the most senior student at the dojo. Even having met some more of the pros that trained here (So cool!) Izuku got the feeling that Dusty might just be able to beat most of them in a one on one fight. Honestly, he might've been better at their jobs too. Don't get it wrong, Izuku loved all the pros and sidekicks that appeared. They were usually nice enough to him and even agreed to give him their autographs, some surprised that he wanted theirs at all. But they all seemed kinda... he didn't know how to put it exactly, but it all came back to All-Might. It was an unfair comparison to make, not everyone could be the symbol of peace, but one of the things that stuck out to Izuku the most was the sense of safety All-Might gave. There were other heroes that gave off that vibe too of course, like Fatgum, but the guys at the dojo just didn't really have the same energy about them. They deserved their licenses for sure but it kinda seemed like most of them treated being a hero as just a job instead of, well, being a hero! But Dusty was different. Maybe it was just that he was closer than All Might was, actually talked to him instead of at him from behind the computer screen, but Izuku felt a sense of calm around him. 

"Hey, Dusty." He called out, still following along with the movements. About two weeks in they'd found a rhythm where they could continue their exercises while maintaining light conversation, something that worked out with Izuku's tendency to ask questions. "Hm?" "Have you ever thought about being a hero?" Dusty seemed to choke and stumble mid-movement. Immediately Izuku was worried he'd done something wrong. "M-me? A hero?" "Well... yeah. You're really strong, and nice. You could keep people safe but I think you could make them feel safe too ya know? Like All Might." "That..." Dusty paused, gradually lowering his arms and crossing them, staring down at the floor. His cloudy blue eyes were the only part of his face visible from under his mask, and they looked less than happy. "Dusty? Did I say something wrong?" "H-huh? No! No of course not just... I always sort of wanted to be a hero but, Master Armstrong-" It was at that moment the front door of the dojo opened, revealing a sight Izuku was less familiar with. It was a young girl, about his age, her long dark hair tied back in a sloppy, slightly spikey bun. She wore the Gi of a different dojo, one that specialized in Kendo and mixed in facets of other sword-based fighting styles. Izuku remembered the only time the two of them talked she off-handedly mentioned her quirk allowed her to see weak-points like joints, old wounds, and even gaps in protective gear of people and living creatures, so piercing weapons would probably suit her more than Armstrong style. Still it had to be a little awkward learning from someone else. She was Brad's daughter, after-all.

"O-oh! Hi B-Budddy!" Dusty called out, immediately forgetting about the prior conversation. "Hey Dusty. Dad here?" "Um, yes Master Armstrong is-" "Dusty, can you cut that shit out? Just call him 'dad', it's just you, me and uh..." She looked over at Izuku with a scowl. "Midiro?" "Midoriya." Izuku answered, a little perturbed at her language. "Yeah right, him. You can drop the act." "It's just... it's one of those days..." Buddy groaned, "Oh, great, he's black out drunk isn't he?" "b-BUDDY!" "Well that answers it. Guess I'm staying down here then, don't wanna deal with that right now." Izuku fidgeted uncomfortably on the mat, Dusty spluttering beside him while Buddy walked over to the counter and fished out a martial-arts magazine to read. "Is... is everything okay?" Dusty and Buddy both looked over at him, Buddy having a slightly guilty look on her face. "It's not like that man, Brad's not a violent drunk or anything, he wouldn't hurt us. He just... he has his days you know? He's been getting better but some stuff happened before and he needs a little help dealing with it now and then. Same deal with me and-" She glanced over at Dusty but stopped herself. "A-and me." "Oh..." Izuku said, taking it all in. "U-um... what happened? To all of you, i-if it's not too personal." Dusty wrung his hands and avoided Izuku's gaze, while Buddy sighed and put down the magazine. "Shit, I gotta work on my filter. Look as far as dad goes you'd have to ask him- and that's really not a good idea if you wanna keep learning here- cause I ain't gonna tell you about that myself. Short version is he had to move in with his grandfather for a reason, let's leave it at that. As for me, my real dad was a psychopath. Some genetics guy trying to fuck around with quirks or drugs or something like that. Apparently he hurt my mom for 'research' and he was gonna try the same thing with me. One of his lab partners snitched and the cops raided our place." "That... I'm so sorry." "Eh. It's... well it's something. Dad got thrown in a hole somewhere, mom's in a hospital, we write to each other sometimes, and now I live with Dusty and Brad. I had just turned three when I got put up for adoption so I barely remember any of this myself, most of what I told you is secondhand. If I was a little older it probably would've fucked with me a little more. Still kinda does, so I use this." She said, gesturing to the sword sheathed on her hip. "Helps me vent my frustrations, keeps people off my case too. Gonna use it to get into UA, go pro, then no one'll try to mess with me. Simple as that." 

"So you wanna be a hero?" "Yyyup." She said, popping the p. "Dad ain't big on heroics, at least as far as me and Dusty doing them goes. He's kind of protective I guess. But I'm gonna do it anyways. Feels right. I keep trying to get this dingaling to apply there." She said gesturing to Dusty. "I-it's just like you said, d-dad wouldn't want me to." "Dusty, I get that, but you're 17. You know UA doesn't accept transfers or late applications, besides it's just like Midoyii here said-" "Midoriya!" "Whatever, he said you make him feel all safe n' shit. Besides you've already kicked pretty much every ass that's walked through the door once or twice. If they're good enough to be pro, you can do it. I know you want to, anyways." Dusty sighed, eventually glancing at Izuku, then back at Buddy. "You two really think I would be a good hero?" "Why not, you're already my hero." Buddy said nonchalantly. Izuku swore Dusty was blushing under his mask. "Well I only just met you Dusty, but you give off a heroic aura, you know? I think you could totally do it!" He didn't say anything for a while, eventually raising his head up and simply stating "Okay, I-I'll apply for UA." Buddy smiled and opened her mouth to speak, before a crashing sound was heard overhead. Her smile quickly reverted to a frown as she rolled her eyes. "Great, do you think that was a bowl or the lamp this time?" "I-I'm gonna say bowl." Dusty answered. With a sigh Buddy kicked up and out of her seat, dropping her magazine behind her as she started walking towards the back door. "C'mon, he's probably on the floor again, gonna need you to help me haul his ass to his room." "Right." Dusty answered going to follow after her. He briefly turned to look at Izuku. "I'm sorry we have to cut our training short, Midoriya." "It's fine, technically my session was supposed to end fifteen minutes ago. I really should've headed home earlier. Will everything be okay though?" "It's like I said uh... Midoriya?" "Hey you got it right that time!" "There we go, third time's the charm. But yeah, Brad just gets a little hammered earlier into the evening some nights. He's good about not doing it when he's got a sparring session with a pro, and he probably checked to make sure Dusty could handle the Armstrong stuff for today since you were the only guy around. Just uh, don't bring this up okay? To him or your parents." "My mom?" "I think Buddy's trying to say there's no need to worry your mother, Midoriya. I promise you, Brad's a good man and an amazing teacher. It's just that everyone has a bad day sometimes, you know?" Izuku hesitated. Master Armstrong seemed pretty straightforward. He got the feeling something was off but not too off, so if this was all it was, that he got drunk sometimes when he had Dusty around to substitute, then he guessed it wasn't worth bringing up unless his mom asked. This was pretty much his only option for self defense classes as far as cost went so was it really worth risking? "Okay, I won't." "Promise?" Buddy asked. "Yeah, promise." "I knew you were alright green-boy. Get home safe." "You too." "Uh Midoriya, me and Buddy are home right now. We live upstairs." "Oh, right. I uh... I'm going to go now." "I'll lock up behind you, say hi to your mother for us." "I will, thanks Dusty!" 

As the front door to the dojo shut behind him, Izuku began the walk home. He didn't know how to feel about all this, it was a lot to take in all at once, but he hoped he'd find some way to help the Armstrong family through their issues. That's something a hero would do right? Comfort people? He thought so, at least. Maybe he'd ask one of the pros the next time he came around without getting into specifics. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism, feedback, ideas, and Terry Hintz style quote are all appreciated (and encouraged as far as that last one goes.)


End file.
